Two Men Guilty In New Haven Arson Fire That Killed Three

April 18, 2013|By DAVID OWENS and KELLY GLISTA, dowens@courant.com, The Hartford Courant

NEW HAVEN — More than two years after Hector Natal set the fire that killed three members of her family, Lynn Roberson still remembers the day as "horrifying."

"The only thing I can say is it's something I never expected to happen to my family," Roberson said.

On Thursday, a federal jury in New Haven unanimously found Hector "Boom-Boom" Natal guilty on all counts for starting the fire at 48-50 Wolcott St. in New Haven that killed Wanda, Jaquetta and Quayshawn Roberson in March 2011.

Quayshawn was 8 years old. His cousin, Jaquetta, was 21, and his mother, Wanda, was 42.

Natal, 27, was convicted on three counts of arson resulting in death, witness tampering, attempted arson and conspiracy.

Natal's father, Hector Morales also was on trial in connection with the case and was found guilty of three counts of accessory after the fact in arson resulting in death, destruction of evidence and conspiracy.

"Today, our thoughts are with the victims and their families," U.S. Attorney David Fein said in a release after the verdict. "Justice has been served."

The jury's decision was a relief to Roberson, who said she and her family now have some closure and are trying to move on.

"We got justice and we were happy," she said.

"I just want to say, I will see him in heaven," Quayshawn's father, Lawrence Alexander, said of his son.

According to the U.S. Attorney's officer, Natal set the fire in the early morning hours of March 9, 2011, and Morales drove him from the scene. Morales then painted his van in an attempt to obstruct the investigation and the two planned with other family members to give false testimony before a grand jury, the U.S. Attorney said.

A federal prosecutor told jurors that Natal set the fire because a person living there owed him a drug debt. The FBI used Natal's own words against him after recording him while he spoke with a cooperating witness familiar with his drug dealing.

Natal, 26, told the witness that someone in the house "owed me bread," then admitted setting the fire.

More than a dozen people — including children, a pregnant woman and elderly residents — escaped the fire either by jumping out of windows or with the help of firefighters.

"I couldn't be more proud of our firefighters' outstanding efforts in responding so bravely to this deadly arson and our law enforcement partners who brought this case to justice," New Haven Fire Chief Michael Grant said in a statement.

Defense attorneys for Natal and Morales argued that cooperating witnesses, including a convicted felon and drug user and dealer and a former girlfriend of Natal, were unreliable.

A sentencing date has not yet been scheduled. Natal faces a maximum sentence of life in prison for each of the three deaths.